


My Best Friend, I Love Forever

by JelliPuddi



Category: Puyo Puyo, 魔導物語 | Madou Monogatari Series (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Shin Madou Monogatari based, oops I created a crack pairing I think?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 02:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14462733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JelliPuddi/pseuds/JelliPuddi
Summary: Someone so familiar and close, but forgotten as time was recreated. Only the comfort of Rulue's existence kept this jester pleased, even if it was not the same, she still cared for her closest friend.This person was familiar to Rulue, but she could not understand why until she entered the other dimension.





	My Best Friend, I Love Forever

**Author's Note:**

> So uh, this was inspired by Stickers' comic involving Doppel Arle and Schezo, I just had the urge to write this kind of scenario, whoops.
> 
> We need more Rulue content anyway. Very chatty one-shot, so fair warning on that.

Just how did Rulue get here? She could barely recall.

It felt like a nightmare, wherever she was right now. Her memories were a blur, she tried to force her mind into focusing, but nothing was coming to mind. She saw the face of a clown, and then…

She held her head, gazing at the woman standing in front of her. The clown, that’s right! The jester was standing right there, but with the mask peeled off this time. Rulue demanded answers, but she got them once she saw the pierrot’s actual face. It was someone she knew all too well, and it was all starting to make sense immediately.

“Arle!”

Arle stood still, gazing at Rulue from afar. “I should have known,” Rulue started, “you’re trying to take me away from my darling Satan, so you thought you could trap me in this outer realm, is that it? It’s not going to work, you cannot part me from him, no matter how much you get in my way!”

There was no response other than a low chuckle. That voice, was not one that belonged to Arle, as it sounded a bit deeper. The face definitely matched, but the hair almost appeared darker. Sure, it could have been from the lighting in the area, but it almost looked like a completely different color. Her eyes though, were a different story. Once Rulue got a better view of them, she could see that they were not the bright, golden eyes that Arle was known for having.

They were a bright red, with hints of violet mixed in. Something was very off about it, not helped by Arle drawing closed, dispelling of the pierrot costume around her. The armor, much like this Arle’s eyes, happened to be red, which was enough to tell Rulue that this wasn’t the Arle she knew.

“You,” she stammered, “are you some kind of doppelgänger!?” The other Arle just chuckled again, coming closer without any other word. Rulue stumbled backward, nearly falling over, but managed to regain her confidence. She was uneasy, yes, but willing to put up a fight should she want. “What is it you want? My fists will gladly tangle with you if that’s what you want. Or we can settle it in Puyo!”

The doppelgänger did nothing of the sort. Instead, without words, she embraced Rulue.

“You’re not the same,” the doppelgänger murmured, “you’re a replica, but that’s okay. I’m just happy to see my dear friend again.” Staring at Rulue with a longing gaze, the doppelgänger held her gently. “But I am the real Arle, and I’ve always been your best friend. That’s the one thing that’s never changed.”

Rulue immediately pulled away, chills going down her spine. “Replica? What is wrong with you, you doppelgänger!? Who do you think you are, pretending to be Arle, and kidnapping me?” The doppelgänger’s face fell, giving a saddened look, but she could only smile weakly again.

“Pretending? Rulue, I’m the real Arle. Did Satan change the way we met too?” The doppelgänger asked. “Do you remember, when you sent Minotauros to chase me, because you assumed the worse when Carbuncle used to be with me?” Rulue froze up from the mention, the memory feeling familiar, it happened a long time ago, but with the way things were, it should have been more recent than that.

“Then how we became friends after striking a deal, I had to attend the same school as me.” The doppelgänger reached out for Rulue, trying to hold her hand. Too stunned to move, Rulue couldn’t pull back, though she desperately wanted to. “It was there, I learned of how you met Satan. He saved you from the vampiric Count of a castle, and I admired how you used your strength to get through the worst. You were so different from me, but I quite liked that. I was hoping the days would continue, where we go to know each other.”

Pressing the hand to her face, the doppelgänger remained still, staring into Rulue’s soul almost. “I’ve missed this,” she muttered, “I remember holding hands with you when we attended the same school. They’re still warm, the same kind of hands known for punching through walls, but they’re so tender. I missed the warmth, the feeling of another person that I had known.” Tears nearly formed in the doppelgänger’s eyes, but she tried to keep them from coming out.

Still, Rulue was speechless, unable to react to this strange version of Arle that was… so familiar, yet so wrong. Everything about it was wrong! Why did she know so much? Why was she acting like this? And worst of all, why did it feel like Rulue might have known her? She shouldn’t have.

“I remember,” the doppelgänger continued, “the final exam, where we both competed to graduate? You got so angry with me a few times and fought with me, but I still considered you my friend. Those encouraging words you gave to me before fighting Phantom God, and when we both escaped after Schezo sacrificed himself. I felt something, which made me want to call you my best friend, from there until the end of time. I wanted to be by your side, Rulue.”

Removing the hand from her face, the doppelgänger smiled more cheerfully. It was a smile that was so genuine, that Rulue actually was fooled into thinking it was the Arle she was familiar with. But it wasn’t, was it? 

“Spring break, the Count took control of me. I was so scared, I didn’t remember what I was doing, but the fact I could have killed you,” the doppelgänger continued, “the idea of injuring you, with my own power, against my will… I didn’t express it at the time, but the thought terrified me!” 

Suddenly embracing Rulue again, the doppelgänger held her more tightly, burying her face into Rulue’s shoulder. “I never wanted to hurt you, even when you got angry at me. I never wanted to see you harmed by anyone. You confronted the Count himself, he increased his power, and you two got into such a violent battle— I was worried sick, that something would happen. You were knocked out by the time it was over, I thought I had lost you, but you were okay!”

 

Why?

Why was this doppelgänger showing more care over events, things that to Rulue, felt familiar, but did they even happen? She showed more care than the Arle which Rulue knew now, and as much as she wanted to fight back and scream at this doppelgänger, Rulue couldn’t bring it in her. 

Was it true? Or was it a manipulative lie?

“It’s been hundreds of years, Rulue,” the doppelgänger wept, “I stopped seeing you long before then, and it hurt. You just, stopped existing when reality crumbled. Last I had seen of you, Rulue, you had a mental breakdown over your father’s involvement in a cult. I never saw you after that, even with my repeated efforts of comfort! It was torture, going through the Final Ragnarok, without knowing what became of my best friend.”

No, that was definitely not true! When did this ever happen? How could the doppelgänger say it with such sincerity!? She wanted to shout, scream, Rulue had to at least say…

 

“Who are you?”

“I’m Arle Nadja,” the doppelgänger repeated.

“Who are you really!?” Rulue cried out, trying to pull away from the hug.

“I’m the real Arle, the soul lost in a void.” The doppelgänger now looked a bit more serious, rather than giving a gentle, loving gaze like she did prior. “The one you know, is only half of me. The incomplete, weaker half. The one that Satan chases after, and the one you formed a hatred over, is nothing. She is a nobody, because I’m the one that has been your friend the whole time. I know more about you, than you know about yourself.”

“I don’t remember that last part, I do not recall anything about my father!” Rulue shouted.

“Satan doesn’t let you,” the doppelgänger explained, “no one, especially not replicas are allowed to remember that part. You vaguely recall everything else because it had been over nine-hundred years. It feels like they happened so long ago, yet you remember being the same age as you are now, don’t you? Satan isn’t letting you age. Satan didn’t complete my form. Satan made you all replicas, shells of your former selves.”

Why was she bringing up Satan so much all of the sudden? It was something Rulue herself did often, yes, but the doppelgänger bringing it up came out of nowhere. The questions clouded Rulue’s mind more and more, but those things said about Satan were motivating Rulue to throw a punch at the doppelgänger.

“He left me behind for five-hundred years, Rulue. I never got to see you, Carbuncle, or Schezo for such a long time. I became bitter, my mind became twisted, everything was out of my reach for what felt like an eternity. And why did he come get the empty shell he calls Arle? Just so he could pursue her, and have things play out like some kind of pathetic comedy act.” Gritting her teeth, the doppelgänger sighed, breathing through her teeth. 

“I hate him!” The doppelgänger spat. “He only cared about me because I looked like someone he knew and because I had his pet. He left me behind, and just made another realm for fun, where he could play god—”

“Take that back!” Rulue stammered. “Satan is not a selfish man, you are!”

“Perhaps I am. You’re right about that Rulue, I’m projecting my anger over an accident, maybe.” The doppelgänger retorted, proceeding to hold Rulue by the chin. “But even then, I can’t forgive him. Not after I saw what he did to you, Rulue. Just look at yourself, you’re a complete shell of the fierce fighting queen I once knew! You only care about Satan now. You stopped caring about Minotauros after all he had done for you, and you constantly treat my weaker half like an enemy! 

“Why, Rulue? Satan isn’t what matters. I know he rescued you from the Count, but not only can you never have him, but you can’t even have the other me!” The doppelgänger sobbed. “I can’t stand it. She completely abandoned you for what? Amitie, Ringo, and Ally, was it? And all of their friends too. She barely makes the time for you anymore, when we’ve been through so much more than they have!” Clutching onto Rulue again, the doppelgänger held onto her more closely, but Rulue quickly broke free.

“Rulue, please, even if you’re a doll compared to how you used to be also, I can fix that. Just forget about Satan, and the other Arle, forever.” The doppelgänger begged. “You’ll never age, we have all the time in the world together, and you don’t have to waste it with Satan—”

“Stop this nonsense, just stop it! What makes you think I would give up my love for Satan!?” Rulue snapped, about to slam her fist into the doppelgänger’s face, only for her wrist to be grabbed yet again, tightly. “Why are you even intent on that? You say you hate him, but I’m wondering if you just want me to stop caring about him, so you can have him as your own! Is that your plan?”

The doppelgänger giggled.

 

“No,” she answered, “it is only you that I am after, my dear friend.”

Her grasp on the wrist became lighter, just as Rulue’s muscles began to weaken. The shock made Rulue stop clenching her fist, no longer feeling the desire to beat the doppelgänger where she stood.

 

“Satan will never give you love,” the doppelgänger bluntly stated, “Rulue, I really tried to support you back then. I truly believed that in the end, you would win him somehow and that it would make you pleased. I only cared about seeing you happy. I was certain he liked you in the old world, but in this new era, he simply does not care. He just wants to live in a world where he believes Arle is a prize to be won. I hate how he treats you, for you were always kind, beautiful, and so strong.

“But that day, when you saved me from being controlled by the Count, I felt something else.” The doppelgänger continued, holding Rulue’s hands. “When we had known each other, I simply saw ourselves as close friends who had the most strange of fateful encounters. But when you fought him, and I got frightened, I realized that it was love I had felt, not just a friendly attachment. And I would have done anything just to make sure you were never hurt again.”

Rulue’s mind was blank, it had shut down completely.

“I, Arle, love you,” the doppelgänger declared. “I will love you more than Satan ever will, I can give you whatever you want, and we can relive the happy days like we used to. Had I been successful at taking Carbuncle, absorbing power from the other Arle, and tossing Satan aside, I could have fixed everything. You wouldn’t be as shallow as you are now.”

Taking Carbuncle? This clown…

She wasn’t the one responsible for Satan acting so oddly during the circus, was she?

“I will protect you,” the doppelgänger began holding Rulue gently again, making sure the fighting queen didn’t fall over on her back. “I love you, and I want things to go back the way they were. With us being friends, not enemies. You don’t have to be neglected anymore, not if I’m always there for you. This time, no vile creator will wage want to have you erased, we can make this world whole, so just forget about Satan and come with me!”

The expression that was on the doppelgänger’s face…

It was one of joy, yet also sadness, to have finally vented all of these emotions. This Arle felt so open, she had never said this much to anyone, not in years. Rulue could see that her eyes were sincere, despite how dark they were at first glance. This doppelgänger, claiming to be the Arle that Rulue had known before, was the one who genuinely cared for her more than anyone else.

“I,” Rulue stuttered, throat drying up. “I can’t. It doesn’t make sense, this is just a nightmare. This can’t be real. You want me to forget Satan, you want to hurt him? You want me to forget the Arle I know?”

The doppelgänger’s eyes widened, Rulue pushing her away and preparing to walk away.

“If what you say is true, I can’t accept it! I can’t believe any of that, you—”

“Rulue, don’t be in denial!” The doppelgänger cried out to her, trying to reach out and chase after her. “I promise it’s the truth, I know it’s hard, but please listen!” Rulue began moving faster, as if attempting to find an exit in this alternate dimension. “Where are you going? Please, just, don’t leave me alone again! I know you’re a replica, but I missed your face so much!” She was practically sobbing, infuriated that Rulue was actively running away after the doppelgänger poured her heart out.

The doppelgänger of Arle was ignored, as Rulue kept running, wanting to find a way out. Warping right in front of her, the doppelgänger prepared to use a spell. Tattered, red cloth wrapping itself around Rulue’s arms, coming from the doppelgänger’s power. Rulue broke free with ease though, her willpower being much stronger than the doppelgänger thought.

“Eclipse!” The doppelgänger shouted, attempting to use a brain-damaging attack like what the normal Arle would use, but it was evaded, and Rulue retaliated, the red cloth still stuck to her fist as she shouted.

“Iron Fist!”

Knocking the doppelgänger to the ground with a harsh blow to the gut, it nearly hurt Rulue more than it did the copy of Arle. In spite of that, she used the chance to get away and run as fast as she can, without looking back for a second.

“Rulue!” The doppelgänger sobbed. “Don’t leave me here, I can’t be left here by myself again! Just let me come with you, let me turn things back to how they were meant to be!”

Far in the foggy distance, Rulue was gone, only a slender shadow was visible, leaving the doppelgänger in tears. Her dear, best friend, the one she cared for most, was now out of her life. Even though it was just a replica that Satan had shaped to be shallow, it was gone for good. Arle’s only chance of bringing back one of the few things she still cared for, was out of her grasp.

Her heart ached. The doppelgänger knew that her love was strong, but not enough to make Rulue turn away from Satan. Nothing would ever be enough. Not in a world where nobody aged, and everyone acted like nothing was out of the ordinary besides silly incidents with Puyo, there was no need for this kind of existential crisis.

She was selfish, just as Rulue said. The doppelgänger wanted love, so she took a doll out of where she was meant to be, and tried to force memories she didn’t have anymore. All just to feel satisfied, and no longer be alone.

But instead, the doppelgänger was by herself again, being given nothing but fear. The doppelgänger couldn’t pin the blame on Satan this time, for the only person at fault here, was herself, for letting emotion get the best of her.

It always did, even when she tried to mask it.

 

* * *

 

Minotauros found her after hours of panicked searching and brought Rulue back to her mansion safely. He couldn’t stop worrying, constantly asking if she was okay, and while Rulue was tempted to be fed up and smack him for being a pest, she honestly wasn’t sure if she was alright either. Minotauros could only assume she was partly suffering from amnesia since she really couldn’t remember anything happening.

She had no idea where she was, but she went missing. To Rulue, this was all just some kind of bad nightmare she had after passing out. Perhaps she got hit by nuisance Puyo, or something dropped down and attacked her, but she couldn’t understand what. It was all a blur, and now Minotauros was suggesting that she lay down for a while until she felt better.

Rulue sighed, peeling off her clothes and putting her pajamas over her body, feeling something around her right hand, which felt oddly sore today. Did she get tangled in a fight after all? That was probably the case but…

Checking her hand, which she should have done sooner, Rulue felt a pit in her stomach, seeing tattered, red cloth wrapped around her fingers. Opening her palm and letting the cloth fall to the floor, she picked it back up to get a closer look. The color wasn’t like any other she had seen from anybody else Rulue had known and the texture… it was soft, almost too soft for something that was so ruined.

Where there anybody that Rulue could have run into who wore that kind of cloth?

 

Why were her eyes watering?

The feeling of the cloth was tender, and the color of it reminded her of love, so why did she feel sad looking at it? Who did it make her think of? Not Satan, even with how fine this cloth was, he wouldn’t be carrying something that was torn up. Arle perhaps? No, but…

Arle, it was like Arle, but not quite. It was definitely like somebody Rulue used to know.

Weeping quietly, the cloth soon became soaked with tears, as Rulue realized it wasn’t the first time she saw a cloth like this on such a person. She couldn’t recall who it could have been, but it was most definitely someone very dear to her, someone who she had almost entirely forgotten about.

 

Yes, it wasn’t the first time.

But chances were, it would also be the last time Rulue saw this person ever again.


End file.
